A the end of the flowering season some plants start up a rachis like they are preparing another raceme but they shift out of flowering mode: instead of installing verticillasters and buds the plant puts a BRANCH there! The bracts turn from purple BACK to Green and start looking like leaves with no petiole.

You get a quickly elongating top with 2 branches from every node: Its explosive growth is like a firecracker popping out branches! I think "Sweetie, Sally, and Sammy" were 3 firecrackers from last year (I didn't keep records) - they grew 8 feet in their first year! I think the branches I cut that had converting racemes grew faster than anything I'd ever seen before!

(I Shouldn't sell ALL of those.) This year I'm comparing Firecracker growth to their non-fancy siblings directly.

You were observant enough to uncover some research I'm doing that I hadn't told anyone about yet.